[2]With the enormous success of St. Louis Cardinals’ rookies Michael Wacha, Shelby Miller and Trevor Rosenthal this past season, it’s somewhat understandable that Carlos Martinez gets lost in the mix.

After struggling to carve out a role following his debut on May 3, Martinez was used sparingly out the bullpen and bounced between the minor and major leagues as the organization seemingly pondered how to best utilize the 22-year-old.

By the end of the regular season, though, the flame-throwing right-hander emerged as manager Mike Matheny’s preferred option in the late innings and ultimately served as the team’s setup man throughout the postseason.

Martinez appeared in 12 games between the team’s three playoff series, registering a 3.55 ERA and .167 opponents’ batting average with with three walks and 11 strikeouts in 12.2 innings.

However, as the Cardinals begin to address their 2014 roster, they’ve already made it clear that Martinez won’t be working out of the bullpen.

Carlos Martinez Could Be A Starter For St. Louis In 2014
by Charles Mager